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Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Ease #2: a-ha discovery (me embarrassed)

Readers, I might be stating an obvious fact, but based on your comments you also are not aware of the fact that Vogue Patterns do state the final garment circumference for the waist, bust and hips on their pattern sheets. Here is the proof:

So, there was no need to measure pattern pieces, ahem - I am embarrassed. I wasted time stated on the pattern anyway. The bust measurement for the finished garment is 94cm, waist 73cm. The body measurements are 87 and 67cm respectively. Which gives us 7cm ease

Apparently, all Vogue patterns are marked in the same way. So, here is the tip of the day: read instructions. It's all there: the circle symbol with a cross inside "indicates Bustline, Waistline, Hipline and/or Biceps. Measurements refer to circumference of Finished Garment (Body Measurement + Wearing Ease + Design Ease). Adjust pattern if necessary." A-ha - I will indeed.

Yes...I consistently have problems getting my button overlap correct....it's rather frustrating. I know women's is right over left and yet I still manage to switch it about. Fortunately I have not done this on a clients garment...just mine...just mine.

I always open the patterns, find those measurements and then mark them on the instructions for easy reference. Um, but then, there was a time I DIDN'T know that. But I guess if you almost always draft your own patterns then that's not something you'd think about.

True they cite final measurements on the pattern but you can only see those after the salesperson stamps no return on your pattern cover and you go home and open the actual pattern (this sometimes happens so far in the future that the pattern is sold out XP). And that is when realisation hits-oh I need a size 4 not a size 8 and my pattern only covers sizes 8-12. Oh and the 4-8 version is now selling for twice the price on Ebay because its sold out everywhere else.. It is due to this sort of awesomeness that I stick to Simplicity (on the rare occasions that I buy American patterns). While McCall's also mention finished garment measurements on the pattern cover, I have in the past found these measurements to be 'approximations' (made perhaps, under the influence of a cocktail of opiates by some poor unpaid design student intern).Also your comments section doesn't work for openid or wordpress logins so you might want to install discus or have a name+url option for commenting.

Thanks for sharing this. I didn´t know clearly. My embarrassing moment (one of many!) was yesterday...I made a muslin, then eventually cut the real silk fabric...and forgot to cut the center front on the fold! Thankfully I had a bit of extra fabric left.

As my husband ( and father) like to say - read the instructions first! Is this a male thing?However, it would easily explain why I have to take in at the waist every time. Thanks for pointing this out - I will take the ease into consideration next time. Actually, thank you very much for this.

I've just signed up for the Couture class, but spent ages trying to work out what size pattern to go for. After reading your posts on ease and the comments I've gone for the size based on my high bust measurement. Thank you for information. I'm looking forward to learning some new techniques.